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The Sino Japanese War assignment (May 4,2011)

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  • How are the Chinese soldiers portrayed in these prints? The Japanese soldiers? The Japanese portrayed themselves as the superior and the as the weak barbaric ones. Careful with your grammar here. Can you spot the errors here and below?
  • Look at the weapons used by each side, are they different? How? Does this tell is anything about Japanese technological advancement? Unlike the old fashioned weapons like swords that mostly samurais used before the Meiji restoration, the weapons has become very westernized. Also not only weapon but also the clothing and ships has changed. This reflects that ever since Japan accepted the western culture, they have been absorbing it like a sponges and rapidly has been developing technologically etc. (Chinese-> spears)
  • Why do sports often become symbolic battlegrounds between nations?Sports can often become a symbolic battleground between nations especially if both nations have a rivalry past. For example,Korea and Japan and how Koreans or Japanese can’t stand losing to one another. This happens mostly to show that one country is more superior and stronger than the other. Also although they two and may also to show the pride of one's country. But why is it that we place so much emotion on international sporting events, like the Olympics, as an extension of our nations' capabilities? What are we trying to prove to other nations by doing this?
  • Is imperialism/colonialism simply about militarily and politically controlling another nation, or is it also about proving one’s self-perceived cultural superiority over another? I believe that imperialism and colonial is also about proving that a country is more superior and better than others. By the fact that the more country one influences, it proves that they are more superior and more stronger that other countries. For example, how Koreans feel pride of their own country when K-pop singers are successful internationally,

Russo Japanese War

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  • Do artistic renditions or photographs depict the heroics of war better? Yes, the artistic renditions or photographs does represent the heroics of war better.
  • Do artistic renditions or photographs depict the horrors of war better? (Consider all photographs of war that you have seen, both historical and contemporary) No, I believe that artistic renditions and photographs does that show the horrors of war better that actually feeling it directly however photographs may be the next possible medium that shows the horror of war after experiencing the war.
  • How does the medium affect the message? Can we say that, "[T]he medium is the message"? Painting and adding colors makes the resource more lively and realistic. Also the fact how the given renditions were drawn on woodblock can represent the time period and also the situation of that era.
  • Why is 1905 such a turning point in Japanese and World history? How might history have been different had Japan lost the Russo-Japanese War?
Japan may have gained confidence and the ambition to overtake the "world" or gain more power. However if Japan had lost then first of all, Western country would have inferred with conquering Korea and other countries that Japan took over.



May 11, 2010

Queen Min

Reading # 1
-> 1851,Born from a noble family and married King Konjung at the age of 14
-> The kings father thought that the young queen would be a good wife
-> made many accomplishments : own increasing hostile world, balancing the interest of China, Japan and Russia
Reading # 2
a. Who was Isabella Bird?
->She was a English author/ traveler
b. What were Ms. Bird's first impressions of Queen Min?
-> Isabella Bird describes Queen Min as a very nice looking slender woman.
c. What might the clothes and jewelry worn by Queen Min tell us about her view of her place in Korean society?
-> Clearly shows her position and her power within the country.
d. Which personal characteristics of the Queen tell us about what kind of woman she was?
The author states that she was impressed with the grace and charming manner of the Queen. Also her kindness and her intelligence and force including her remarkable conversational power.
e. Which personal characteristic of the Queen's do you feel is the most revealing? Why?
f. Would you like to have met Queen Min? Why or why not?

These were very lofty goals for both people to try to achieve. To what degree do you feel the Koreans and the Japanese were able to achieve their objectives?
Yes

No

Time line of Korean History: The Last One Hundred Years of the Chosun Dynasty


by Heejin Kim, Rachel Seo









Citation :
"Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. May-June 2011. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganghwa_Treaty>.

"Gabo Reform." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabo_Reform>.

"Anglo-Japanese Alliance." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Mar.-Apr. 2011. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Japanese_Alliance>.